The present invention relates to computerized systems for monitoring a facility such as a building or complex of several buildings, and more particularly to monitoring systems in which a central station receives inputs from several control panels, each control panel in turn supporting remote sensing devices such as smoke detectors, flow sensors and heat sensors distributed throughout the facility.
For safety and security, indoor facilities of any size can be equipped with monitoring systems that employ detectors distributed throughout the facility and a central monitoring station coupled to the detectors to receive messages. Each system can include a variety of types of detectors, e.g., smoke detectors, ion detectors and heat detectors to sense fire, flow detectors, motion detectors, and security detectors that recognize unauthorized tampering with doors or other entry points. Typically, a series of detectors are coupled in a circuit supported by a control panel, and control panels usually are capable of supporting several circuits of sensing devices.
In larger facilities, several control panels are coupled to a single central monitoring station, perhaps overseeing hundreds of detectors. While the number of detectors involved by itself increases the complexity of such larger systems, a major contributing factor is the lack of uniformity if different types of control panels are involved, particularly if the panels are supplied by different manufacturers. While key information about devices, e.g., type, location, nature of a fault or alarm indication, is common among different types of panels, the arrangement and textual representation of such information varies among panels, adding complexity and difficulty which may adversely affect an operator""s response in the critical minutes immediately following an alarm, reported fault condition or other alert.
In connection with some monitoring systems, hardware converters (semiconductor chips) have been developed to translate information from different types of panels, then provide the translated information to the central monitoring station. While these devices have enhanced uniformity somewhat, they are costly and lack the power to convert all of the key information.
Along with the lack of uniformity in messages when several control panels are involved, a further difficulty of systems is the lack of flexibility to tailor written messages associated with reported alarm conditions and fault conditions.
Many present day monitoring systems include graphics capabilities for displaying an image of the monitored facility, e.g., blueprints, site maps, floor plans and similar facility representations. Providing such images in conjunction with alarm or fault reports can assist the operator in more rapidly and accurately determining the appropriate response. At the same time there is a need for visual images that more clearly direct an operator to the source of trouble and more readily suggest the appropriate response. Further, previous systems lack sufficient flexibility in adjusting images when devices are added to the system, or when locations of devices presently in the system are changed.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a facility monitoring system in which messages from a variety of control panels are presented to an operator in a consistent, uniform format.
Another object is to provide a facility monitoring system with graphic capabilities for displaying a facility map in combination with images representing the various system devices as to type, state (or condition) and location.
A further object is to provide, in connection with a system with the foregoing graphics capabilities, a process for conveniently changing the facility image in response to adding, removing or relocating devices.
Yet another object is to provide a process for automatically advising an operator of the need to add device images to a facility image, as new devices are added to the monitoring system.
To achieve these and other objects, there is provided a facility monitoring system. The system includes a plurality of devices disposed at different selected locations throughout a monitored facility. Each device is adapted to generate a condition signal variable in response to changing conditions proximate the device, to alternatively indicate at least two different states. A facility monitoring station is provided, and has a memory for storing facility mapping information, selected location information and graphic information. The monitoring station further has an image generator coupled to receive the condition signals as inputs, and adapted to produce a composite facility image based on the inputs. The facility image includes a background map depicting the monitored facility, and a plurality of device images on the map that depict the devices. Each device image is associated with a different one of the devices. A transmission pathway links the detectors and the facility monitoring station, to provide the condition signals as further inputs to the image generator, and thus cause the generator to replace a first selected device image with a second selected device image in response to a change in the associated condition signal, thus to visually indicate a change of state with respect to the associated device. The image generator further is adapted to permit a system user to selectively position each of the device images on the map to depict the sensing locations of the associated devices.
Preferably, the second device image differs from the first device image in one or more of the characteristics of color, shape, and periodic interruption of the image display. More particularly as to color, three smoke detector images can be associated with a particular smoke detector: a green image associated with the normal, standby state; a yellow image associated with a trouble or fault state; and a red color associated with an alarm state. As to shapes, the smoke detector image can be a shape resembling the smoke detector when representing the standby condition, and might have the shape of a broken detector (e.g., two sections with confronting rough edges suggesting a breaking or tearing apart) to represent a fault condition. Periodic interruption of the display causes an image to flash, thus more immediately drawing attention to an alarm or fault condition. Various combinations of these approaches can be employed as well, e.g., a fault condition indicated by alternating xe2x80x9cnormalxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cbrokenxe2x80x9d images of the detector.
Further, it is advantageous to provide device images that have shapes resembling those of their associated devices. Further, images for xe2x80x9cmodulesxe2x80x9d can be added to the facility image to indicate the locations of control input devices such as a manual pull station or a water flow switch, with respective device images shaped to resemble these devices.
Further in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a process for monitoring a facility in which a plurality of detectors, forming at least one detector circuit, are distributed throughout the facility and generate respective condition signals that vary in response to changes in predetermined conditions proximate the detectors. The process includes:
storing facility mapping information, device information including at least respective individual identifiers of a plurality of devices on a circuit, and graphic information;
based on the device information, generating a list of entries, each entry associated with one of the devices coupled to the circuit;
based on the mapping information, generating a visible background image comprising a map of the facility; and
with respect to each of the entries on the list:
a. deleting the entry from the list;
b. creating a device image representing the device associated with the deleted entry; and
c. displaying the device image on the facility map; and
repeating a-c until all entries are deleted from the list of entries and the device images corresponding to all entries are displayed on the facility map as part of a visible composite image.
Preferably, the process further includes selectively positioning the device image on the map, to represent the location of the associated device within the monitored facility. An advantageous way to afford this capability is through use of a cursor to move device images as desired. More specifically, Windows programs utilize a hand operated cursor control commonly called a xe2x80x9cmouse,xe2x80x9d which is used to xe2x80x9cclick onxe2x80x9d the device image and xe2x80x9cdragxe2x80x9d the device image to the intended location on the facility map.
More preferably, deletion of the entry from the list and addition of the device image to the map are completed in a single xe2x80x9cdrag and dropxe2x80x9d operation that transfers the textual entry from the list to the map, whereupon, in a manner known to those skilled in the art, the textual listing automatically replaced by the device image.
Until all of the device images have been placed onto the facility map, the remaining entries on the list serve as a reminder of the devices for which an image has not yet been installed. When the images for all new devices have been placed and properly located, the absence of entries on the list signifies completion of the task.
The ability to selectively position device images in this manner also is useful in providing for convenient updating of the facility map or floor plan to reflect the removal of a device, or the transfer of a detector or other device to a different location in the facility.
Further in accordance with the present invention there is provided a process for use in a facility monitoring system that includes a plurality of control panels and at least one detector coupled to each control panel. The detectors are disposed at different sensing locations throughout a monitored facility. A process for monitoring the facility based on inputs from the control panels proceeds as follows:
a. assembling descriptive information relating to and identifying types of control panels and types of devices that can be coupled to the control panels;
b. storing the assembled descriptive information arranged in a plurality of categories;
c. reading incoming information from a plurality of control panels;
d. comparing the incoming information with the categorized information, to identify respective segments of the incoming information and categorized information that match one another; and
e. generating a textual image including the matched information segments in a format governed by said categories.
More particularly, control panels that support detectors and other devices function similarly to one another in the sense of utilizing key information about the devices that they support. However, these panels differ from one another as to certain specific items reported, the specific words used to describe certain devices and device types, and the format according to which information is presented. Accordingly, prestored, categorized information is compared to information provided by all of the panels, with the result being a uniform presentation of matched information. Accordingly, a user of the system is not subjected to a confusing array of different formats, words for specific devices, phrases for messages related to certain alarm conditions, and the like. A user is likelier to respond to an emergency condition more rapidly and by taking the appropriate action, when presented with condition alerts and action messages in a standard format.
Thus, in accordance with the present invention, a facility monitoring system can receive information from different types of control panels supporting a variety of detectors and other devices, assimilate and organize the information, and present that information to users in a standard format that facilitates an appropriate response to an alarm or other unusual condition. The system produces facility images that include background floor plans and sector maps in combination with device images that are easily selectively positioned on the background maps. Thus, images of monitored facilities are modified to more accurately depict the types of devices involved and their locations throughout the facility. Also, images are readily added, moved or deleted to update the facility image in view of adding, removing or relocating detectors and other devices.